Alison and Jerry chose one of the most beautiful Hawaii wedding locations I’ve ever seen – a private estate on the island of Oahu where they and their 16 guests could all stay for a week.
It was important to them for everyone to be close during the days leading up to the wedding. “We did not want a traditional hotel/resort destination wedding on the beach, but an intimate retreat where everyone would feel at home,” Alison said. “Our whole wedding party stayed in a house together, dined in the backyard/courtyard, and built lasting memories together just like a big ol’ family would. Our wedding was essentially the very first days of our two families blending together.”
Alison and Jerry live in Northern Virginia, and met while on a snowboarding trip at Snowshoe in West Virginia, so they wanted to choose a wedding destination that would give them a different kind of experience. Having a Hawaii wedding was the perfect choice.
“Much of our relationship has been spent out on the slopes, from Whistler to Park City to Vermont,” Alison said. “Our wedding was intentionally the exact opposite of what we normally do, to make it truly special.”
For the days surrounding the wedding, Alison and Jerry spent time hiking with their families, hanging at the beach with their wedding party in Waikiki and the North Shore, and eating fresh Hawaiian seafood. After the wedding, they stayed in Hawaii and spent two weeks honeymooning in Maui, Kuaui and the Big Island.